PBA 034a
10:22:03 PM | Edited 10:22:23 PM Canto: You don't know what happened. One moment you were walking along, minding your own business. Perhaps you settled down for the night in a comfy bed. Maybe you blacked out drinking like a stereotypical.... warforged. Thought I was gonna say dwarf, huh? NOPE. 10:22:52 PM THETA: ((Theta doesn't sleep. >.>)) 10:23:05 PM THETA: ((But I get the idea.)) 10:23:54 PM Canto: In any case. You certainly don't remember any kind of situation you were in that would lead you to awaken in a dark casket which slowly opens before you, revealing a dark room filled with black cylinders. 10:25:29 PM Haggard: Haggard snorts awake. 10:26:18 PM THETA: THETA pushes against the lid of the casket as he stumbles out, regaining his composure and his stance as the massive machine rises to full height and scans his surroundings. 10:26:27 PM THETA: THETA activates Magic Insight (detect magic). 10:27:47 PM Canto: For the record, the 'caskets' are standing upright. You both step out of black cylinders similar to the ones surrounding you, except the ones you step out of have opened up in the front. 10:28:36 PM Haggard: Haggard steps out and looks around the room, then glances back at the upright casket. 10:28:58 PM Canto: It's at this point you notice each other as well. 10:29:02 PM Haggard: Hm. Didn't expect it to be quite that literal. 10:29:17 PM Haggard: Haggard notices the warforged. 10:29:55 PM Canto: The only light in the room is a sickly green dim light that doesn't seem to have a source. 10:29:56 PM THETA: THETA visibly primes as he notices the dwarf, his core heating up with a loud, reverberating hum. "Friend or foe?" 10:31:08 PM Haggard: Haggard pats down his sides, looking for something. He sighs. 10:31:37 PM Haggard: Bugger me. No pipe, of course. 10:31:41 PM Canto: You can describe yourselves as well. 10:33:30 PM Haggard: Ah, no, there she is. 10:34:03 PM Haggard: Haggard pulls a pipe from a belt pouch and begins filling it with tobacco. Then he looks the machine up and down. 10:34:22 PM THETA: ((So he's just straight-up not responding?)) 10:35:04 PM Haggard: ((At the moment, yes.)) 10:35:04 PM THETA: ((Would probably have to blast the dwarf, IC. >.>)) 10:36:29 PM THETA: THETA releases the primed blast, the hum growig louder as the warforged's arm lights up... before letting loose a line of fire at the dwarf. 10:37:51 PM Canto: Roll a reflex save, Haggard. What's the DC on that? 10:37:58 PM THETA: Right now, 18. 10:38:29 PM THETA: I think. 10:39:09 PM THETA: Yep. 10:39:57 PM | Edited 10:40:19 PM Canto: Theta frags the dwarf with his crazy fire punch. The dwarf doesn't dodge. But at least his pipe is probably lit now. 10:40:19 PM THETA: ((See? Teamwork.)) 10:40:33 PM Canto: Roll for damage. 10:40:46 PM THETA: ((In the roll20?)) 10:41:28 PM THETA: ((Double sixes =o) 10:41:29 PM Canto: 12 damage to the dorf. 10:43:55 PM Haggard: Haggard slams backward into coffin he'd just crawled out of, leaving a whiff of smoke in his wake. His pipe tumbles from his mouth. 10:44:13 PM Haggard: Bloody hell! 10:44:58 PM Haggard: Haggard climbs back out of the coffin, drawing his dwarven waraxe and taking cover behind the cylinder next door. 10:46:15 PM Haggard: Well, beastie? What are ye waitin' fer? 10:46:27 PM THETA: THETA primes another blast, kneeling behind his shield. "I will not repeat myself again, fleshling. Friend or foe?" 10:46:34 PM Haggard: I may be addled, but I'm ne'er going quietly! 10:48:01 PM Haggard: What kind a Blight beastie has t' ask? 10:48:40 PM THETA: Brb 10:49:13 PM Canto: The room you're in is longer than it is wide, stretching ahead and behind you further than Darkvision will compensate for. The walls are lined with similar cylinders as the ones you came out, all still closed. The floor is made of the same black metal. 10:49:45 PM Haggard: ((How far apart are we?)) 10:50:14 PM Canto: Probably about ten feet. 10:50:38 PM THETA: Back. 10:51:20 PM Haggard: Haggard slides behind another cylinder, trying to close the distance. 10:53:06 PM | Edited 10:53:20 PM THETA: "I am not one to judge without data, but desperate times and whatnot. You may be used to blacking out at the end of every wild weekend, dwarf, but I am less accustomed to being locked inside of a magical tube for an indeterminate amount of time." 10:53:48 PM Canto: ((Quotation marks are unnecessary. Everything not prefaced by /me is assumed to be said by your character.)) 10:54:08 PM THETA: Roger. 10:55:49 PM Haggard: Yer awful talkative fer some upjumped sand rat! 10:56:35 PM Haggard: Haggard mumbles to himself, "Pro'bly jes' in me own head." 10:57:52 PM Haggard: Haggard peeks out from behind his current cover to get a look at the beast. 10:59:52 PM THETA: THETA is bracing himself behind a massive, spiked tower shield. The chrome-like plating has a streamlined run to it, despite the mass of the creature, with rungs of bright blue along his shoulders, lighting up as he primes a blast much like the one that recently caught Haggard in the everywhere. 11:02:09 PM Haggard: Haggard glances down at the charred ruin of his banded mail. He rubs at it with a hand and watches a few flakes drift off. "Queer," he mumbles. He look back. 11:02:36 PM Haggard: Are ye some kind a' golem, beast?! 11:07:16 PM THETA: "A golem does not act on its own behest. I am warforged." 11:08:18 PM Haggard: Warforged my arse! Why would I be hallucinatin' a warforged in the middle of the god's-buggered Blight?! 11:08:54 PM Haggard: Haggard slips behind the next cylinder in the line along the wall. 11:12:09 PM | Edited 11:12:45 PM THETA: THETA follows the dwarf, angling to ensure that the tower shield is between the two of them. "I assure you, dwarf, I am no hallucination. Or would you like another demonstration?" 11:13:02 PM Canto: You guys eventually reach a section with a bunch of open cylinders. No one else in sight, though. 11:15:34 PM Haggard: Alright, if yer a warforged, then what in hells are ya doin' in the wastes? 11:16:09 PM Haggard: And shootin' poor defenseless dwarfs in the chest, fer? 11:17:37 PM THETA: THETA "The... wastes?" Theta replies, confused, before noticing the open cylinders. "More open chambers... more prisoners. Something's going on here..." Theta murmurred, returning to Haggard. "Dwarf. What's the last thing you remember before this?" 11:19:00 PM Haggard: 'Fore this? 11:19:18 PM Haggard: Haggard looks around the chamber, as though really for the first time. 11:20:29 PM Haggard: I was tumbling down hill, followed by 'bout half the beasties in the Blight. 11:22:30 PM THETA: And then nothing? 11:25:07 PM Haggard: No, then some fancy metal bastard shot me while I was tryin' to 'ave a think! 11:29:18 PM THETA: Before that, dwarf. Before... this. 11:30:51 PM Haggard: Look here, golem. I'm havin' a real hard time continuing that think a' mine with you hiding behind a shield and pointin' that... whatever at me. 11:34:29 PM THETA: THETA lets out what sounds like a mechanical 'hmph', standing to full height as the hum fades, and the bright light along the warforged's shoulders dims substantially, though he visibly maintains caution. 11:37:04 PM Haggard: Haggard peeks out again. He "hmphs" himself and steps out from behind the cylinder. He holds his axe up and away, in a nonthreatening manner. 11:39:52 PM Canto: The other unnerving thing about this room is the silence. It might well be the most silent place either of you have been in. 11:41:17 PM Haggard: Haggard watches the warforged expectantly, and warily. 11:41:58 PM Val: ((Unless you've been to a comedy club when Carrot Top performs.)) 11:42:09 PM Canto: ((Haaaaah.)) 11:43:02 PM Haggard: Did'ya jes' say something about carrots, golem? 11:43:49 PM Haggard: Haggard peers at the warforged suspiciously. 11:46:53 PM THETA: ...Carrots? 11:47:07 PM THETA: I have no interest in food, dwarf. 11:47:43 PM THETA: Speaking of which, it might be more prudent to have an actual name rather than simply referring to one another as 'golem' and 'midget'. 11:49:28 PM Haggard: Fair enough. 11:49:30 PM Haggard: Haggard steps forward. He extends one hand - the one without a weapon - to the warforged. 11:52:22 PM THETA: THETA accepts the hand. "I am THETA00783418. Or just Theta." 11:53:44 PM Haggard: Haggard yanks the warforged arm, obviously attempting to topple it over. 11:54:30 PM Canto: ((Grappling? WHY DO YOU HATE ME. :( )) 11:54:41 PM Haggard: ((Just a trip attack.)) 11:54:42 PM THETA: told me no grappling =o 11:54:55 PM Canto: ((What does Theta roll.)) 11:55:28 PM THETA: (16+4=20, in the game chat) 11:55:35 PM Canto: ((Looks like Theta falls.)) 11:55:37 PM THETA: (Where are you guys rolling?) 11:55:49 PM Canto: ((He's doing GMrolls.)) 11:55:58 PM Haggard: ((Sorry, I was GMr...yeah, that.)) 11:56:19 PM Haggard: ((Figured I'd like Canto sort it out narratively. Do you prefer public rolling, Canto?)) 11:56:29 PM Canto: ((GEnerally, yes.)) 11:56:47 PM Haggard: ((Will do. Rolled a 21.)) 11:57:05 PM Haggard: ((14+7.)) 11:58:11 PM Canto: Theta falls. 11:58:43 PM Haggard: Haggard gently rests his waraxe, blade down, on Theta's chestplate. 11:59:08 PM Haggard: That's fer bein' a trigger-happy shite, golem. You can call me Haggard. AM THETA: THETA Theta is pulled, caught off-guard as he tumbles to the ground, priming another blast... and holding it as he finds the axe on his chest, grunting annoyedly as the hum, once again, dies down, pushing the axe aside as he pulls himself back up. AM Haggard: Alright, you have any idea where we are? AM Haggard: Haggard pats Theta on the shoulder, then walks back to his cylinder to retrieve his pipe. AM Haggard: Haggard leaves the tobacco where it scattered on the floor. AM THETA: THETA shrugs. "Judging by all the tubes filled with what seems like more of us, both empty and full, my guess is some kind of containment facility, be it some kind of prison, slave ship, or something else entirely." AM Haggard: Haggard grunts. AM Haggard: An' here I thought it was a tomb. AM Haggard: Well, there's a door down there, I think. AM Haggard: Haggard points into the gloom. AM THETA: THETA nods. "To the door." AM Haggard: Haggard and Theta move quietly to the round, irised door. AM Canto: The door in question is a large round portal, an iris style door made of metal. AM THETA: THETA calibrates his systems to green-mark Haggard, ensuring his blasts no longer harm the dwarf. (Cast Endure Exposure on Haggard) AM Haggard: Haggard looks around for some way to open the door. AM Canto: There are no visible controls. AM Haggard: Haggard whispers, "I don't see any way t' open it, do you?" AM THETA: THETA raises his crowbar. "I always bring my keys with me. Shall we?" AM Haggard: Haggard raises a bushy eyebrow. Then he steps out of the way and motions for Theta to step up to the door. AM THETA: (Horrid roll) AM Canto: The metal door seems singularly unimpressed by your efforts. AM THETA: THETA the crowbar slips into place... and just as Theta attempts to use it to pry the door open, it slips ad falls to the floor. "I... uh... meant to do that." AM THETA: THETA attempts to pry the door open again. AM Canto: It doesn't move, doesn't give. AM Haggard: Do ya want me to give that a try? AM THETA: THETA hands Haggard the crowbar. "Sure. Go for it." AM Haggard: Haggard frowns slightly and looks at the crowbar. He steps up to the door and gives it a try. AM Canto: The door remains pretty immovable. AM Haggard: Haggard grunts with the effort, but nothing gives. AM Haggard: Haggard hands the crowbar back to Theta. AM Haggard: Any other ideas? AM THETA: Not at the moment. We could try another exit. AM Haggard: Haggard looks back down the long room, trying to see any other possible way out. AM Canto: Nope. you head back the way you came from and this is the only door. AM THETA: THETA shrugs. "I could try to melt it." AM Haggard: Might bring the crew, running, if there's a crew. This is no slaving ship, but whoever this place belongs to might not appreciate us meltin' their fixtures. AM THETA: "If you're convinced the crew is friendly, Haggard, we simply need to make enough noise to attract their attentions." AM Haggard: Oh, and you shootin' me and me hollering at you fer it weren't enough? AM THETA: "Apparently." AM Haggard: Haggard sighs. AM THETA: Hey, I don't make the rules. AM Haggard: Haggard starts to sing. Loudly. It's a well-known dwarven drinking tune. AM Canto: The door is apparently not a fan of music. AM Canto: As it just sits there. AM Haggard: Haggard stops at the third refrain. AM Haggard: No taste. AM Haggard: Haggard glances back down the length of the room. AM Haggard: What if you got a good, runnin' start all the way from the other end? Just ran into it? AM THETA: Worth a shot. AM THETA: THETA takes a few steps back and, with a running start, rams his shoulder into the door. Loudly. AM Haggard: Haggard snorts with laughter. AM Canto: The moment Theta's shoulder touches the door, like, it just barely makes contact, the iris door opens smoothly and quickly. Theta ends up going right through it and makes it about seven feet before he runs into a new wall. AM Haggard: Haggard cuts his snicker short as the door opens, but then laughs out loud as Theta goes through. AM Canto: Just outside the door is what seems like a completely different environment. A warm light fills a curving hallway made of a pleasant beige stucco-like substances. The whole hallway has a very organic feel, except for the metal grating beneath your feet, which seems to cover a series of tubes and pipes and wires. AM Haggard: Haggard steps through behind Theta, still chuckling. AM Haggard: Ah, that was even better than I was hoping fer! AM Canto: The silence is gone as well, replaced by a faint and constant 'thrum' that fades into white noise as soon as you stop paying attention.